Course Syllabus

Course Information
INTRODUCTION TO SOCIOLOGY
SOCIOLOGY 1301
FALL 2010

Professor Contact Information

(Professor’s name, phone number, email, office location, office hours, other information)
INSTRUCTOR: MERYL G. NASON, PH.D
OFFICE: GR 2.612
OFFICE HOURS: MW 11:45-2:00PM, T 1:30-2:15PM and by appointment
OFFICE PHONE: 972-883-6722
E-MAIL: MNason@UTDallas.edu
Please Note: I do NOT Use E-LEARNING for e-mail

Course Pre-requisites, Co-requisites, and/or Other Restrictions

(including required prior knowledge or skills)

none

Course Description

In this course we will begin by defining the field of sociology. We will discuss the
similarities and differences between sociology and other social sciences, such as
psychology, anthropology and political science. Once we have defined the field,
we will discuss the different theoretical perspectives that sociologists have
developed to explain society and various social phenomenon and the methods
that sociologists use to study social behavior. Next, we will examine many of the
topics of interest to sociologists, such as culture, society, social interaction,
socialization, groups, deviance and social control, social class, and global
stratification. We will conclude the course by examining several different
components of society such as gender and age, marriage and family and
education and religion.

Student Learning Objectives/Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:

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1. Demonstrate an understanding of the concepts, terminology, and major
figures in the field of sociology.

2. Demonstrate an understanding of the nature of the sociological inquiry

and methods.

3. Demonstrate an understanding of the major sociological perspectives.

4. Have gained insight into the social behavior of people in other cultures.

5. Understand the process of socialization and how we become social

beings.

6. Have learned about the different ways in which people act, feel, think and
define their situations based on their sex, social class, age, ethnic group,
geographical region, family or nationality.

7. Have an increased understanding of the issues of diversity and

globalization and their impact on our lives.

Required Textbooks and Materials

The major text for the course will be James M. Henslin, Essentials of Sociology:
A Down To Earth Approach, 8th edition, Allyn and Bacon, 2009.

Other course readings will be drawn from John J. Macionis and Nijole V.
Benokraitis, Seeing Ourselves: Class, Contemporary, and Cross-Cultural
Readings in Sociology, 8th edition, Prentice Hall, 2010.

Lori Ann Fowler, Study Guide Plus for Henslin Essentials of Sociology: A Down
to Earth Approach, 8th edition, Pearson Education, 2009.

My SOC LAB by Allyn and Bacon.

You can Purchase an online version of the Text (Henslin) at

www.coursesmart.com

Suggested Course Materials

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Assignments & Academic Calendar
Week 1 Overview of the Course
8/20

Week 2 The Sociological Perspective

8/23-8/27 Henslin (H): Chapter 1
Macionis (M): 2, 3, 5

Week 3 Culture
8/30-9/3 H: Chapter 2
M: 4, 7, 10
WRITING ASSIGNMENT#1 DUE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER
3rd

Week 4 Socialization
9/6-9/10 H: Chapter 3
M: 16-18
NO CLASS: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th
QUIZ 1: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th
WRITING ASSIGNMENT #2 DUE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER
10th

Week 5 Socialization—continued
9/13-9/17 Social Structure and Social Interaction
H: Chapter 4
M: 20, 21, 23
WRITING ASSIGNMENT #3 DUE: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER
17th
Week 6 Social Structure and Social Interaction--continued
9/20-9/24 EXAMINATION #1
ESSAYS DUE—WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22nd
MULTIPLE CHOICE—FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 24th

Week 7 Social Groups and Formal Organizations

9/27-10/1 IN CLASS EXERCISE—MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27th
H: Chapter 5
M: 19, 24-26

Week 8 Deviance and Social Control

10/4-10/8 H: Chapter 6
M: 28-31

Week 9 Deviance and Social Control—continued

10/11-10/15 QUIZ 2-WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13th

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 WRITING ASSIGNMENT #4 DUE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER
15th

Week 10 Global Stratification

10/18-10/22 H: Chapter 7
M: 35, 37, 46

Week 11 Social Class in the United States

10/25-10/29 H: Chapter 8
M: 36, 47-48

Week 12 EXAM #2
11/1-11/5 EXAM #2 ESSAYS DUE—MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1st
MULTIPLE CHOICE—WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3rd
WRITING ASSIGNMENT#5 DUE: FRIDAY, NOVEMBER
5th

Week 13 Race and Ethnicity

11/8-11/12 H: Chapter 9
M: 43-45

Week 14 Gender and Age

11/15-11/19 H: Chapter 10
M: 22, 39-41

Week 15 Gender and Age (continued)

11/22-11/26 NO CLASS, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 26th
WRITING ASSIGNMENT #6 DUE: WED, NOVEMBER 24th

Week 16 Religion and Education

11/29-12/3 H: Chapter 13
M: 56, 57, 59, 60

Week 17 EXAMINATION #3
12/6 ESSAYS DUE—MONDAY, DECEMBER 6th
MULTIPLE CHOICE—MONDAY, DECEMBER 6th

(Topics, Reading Assignments, Due Dates, Exam Dates)

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS
Each Student is required to complete TWO Writing Assignments. You may pick
from the following. Each Assignment is worth 150 points for a total of 300
possible points. You MUST turn in ONE Writing Assignment before Midterm
grades are due on October 15th or you will receive a zero for one paper. These
Assignments will NOT be accepted late.

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1. The Sociological Imagination (150 points possible)—Due, FRIDAY,
SEPTEMBER 3rd. To learn more about sociology’s founders, including
Comte, Durkheim, Marx, and many others, go to the following web site:
http://www.sociosite.net/topics/sociologists.php.
Select one of the sociologists who were discussed in chapter 1. Gather
material for a report on the sociologist’s background, ideas and writings.
Exercise your sociological imagination by thinking about how the
sociologist’s social environment influenced his or her work. To obtain
more information, use a search engine like Yahoo, Google or Ask Jeeves.
Enter the sociologist’s name or the words “dead sociologists” (without the
quotation marks) in the search term box. Write a 4-5-page double spaced
paper on your chosen sociologist with the information you have
discovered.

2. Culture Paper (150 points possible)—Due, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th

The job market of the 21st century will require ever increasing amounts of
global awareness. Your task is to choose a country and write a
sociological description of its culture and current social conditions. Your
description must be free of ethnocentrism! Topics to cover might
include a) some cultural norms and values, b) political/economic systems,
c) marriage and family, children and the elderly, f) religions practiced, and
g) racial/ethnic relations. Remember to CITE YOUR SOURCES and
include a REFERENCE PAGE. Your double-spaced typed paper should
be a minimum of 4-5 pages in length (excluding cover sheet and
bibliography).

3. Socialization Observation (150 points possible)—Due, FRIDAY,

SEPTEMBER 17th
Playing games is important in the socialization and development of
children. You are to observe children (10 yrs. old and under) at play for 30
minutes (park, playground, schoolyard, neighborhood, or other appropriate
location NOT a structured environment like day care, p.e. class, and so on).
Take detailed notes on the game playing activities. DO NOT participate in the
activities.

Your observation/analysis should focus on: 1) the difference in boys’ and girls’
games (types of games, free play vs. structure, reactions to winning/losing, and
so on); 2) the interactions in the play (leadership roles, hierarchy, enforcement
strategies, and so on); and 3) the hidden socialization process, that is, messages
that they give and receive about appropriate gender roles, respect for authority,
obedience, success/failure, and cultural rules. Look for subtleties. Use
examples from your observations. Be as specific as possible in drawing
conclusions. Type a 4-5 double-spaced paper in which you discuss your
observations. Use references to text readings to support your observations. You
may NOT observe family members. Remember you are not determining the

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cause of the behavior; you are simply showing what they are and saying what
you think they mean.

OR
Parents and other significant adults are the primary socializers of young
children. Observe parent (adult)/child interactions a public place for 30 minutes
(store, mall, medical treatment center, fast food restaurant, or other appropriate
public location NOT your work site). Take detailed notes on the verbal and
physical interactions. Look for subtleties. Do NOT comment upon or participate
in the exchanges.

Your observation/analysis should focus on: 1) the nature and purpose of

the interactions, who is doing what/to with whom, how is authority established
and maintained, and so on; 2) the content of the interactions (who initiates, who
responds, what do responses indicate about social expectations, does child
attempt any independence, if so how, what messages are provided about
gender, socially appropriate behavior, and so on); 3) the hidden socialization
process regarding children’s place in society, that is messages conveyed about
authority, dependence, obedience and so on. Follow same instructions as above
regarding paper length.

4. DEVIANCE (150 points possible)—DUE, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 15th.

Identity theft is a new type of crime that victimizes as many as 10 million
people each year in the United States. Research this phenomenon, and explain
how this offense differs from property crime that takes place “on the street.”
Consider differences in the crime, the offenders, and the victims. Analyze this
crime using at least two theories of deviance. Type a 4-5 page double-spaced
paper discussing this issue. Remember to use material from the text and
readings to back up your analysis.

5. CLASS POSITION (150 points possible)—Due, FRIDAY, NOVEMBER

5th.
The U.S. is a nation that is determined to believe that we are all middle
class. Americans don’t speak of class privileges, or class oppression, or the
class nature of society. Yet we are a nation where the class, race, ethnic and
gender cleavages are growing and where sensitivities are particularly acute. We
don’t talk about it, but we are keenly aware of class differences.

Your intellectual task is to write an analysis of your own class position in

American society reflecting both the advantages and the limitations of race and
gender. These questions may help stimulate your thinking. How do you assess
your family’s class? Are there significant class differences among Americans?
Do these differences have a significant impact on the decisions you make and
the options available to you? How do race and gender affect your class status?
Do you really have an equal opportunity to succeed? What is success as you
define it? Is it limited by your class position? Are you likely to be a millionaire?
Why/or why not? Does your class affect your material well being? What are the

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material indicators of your class? Does your class position affect your health?
Do you have or can you get high tech treatment for disease?
Do you stand to inherit significant capital? What work/family/child rearing values
was taught to you and do they reflect the class position of your family? Do you
expect to be more successful than your parents are? Why/or why not? How
will/is your success affected by race and gender? Remember these questions
are only a guideline. Type a 4-5 page double-spaced paper discussing these
issues. Remember to use material from the text and readings to back up your
analysis.

6. GENDER—INTERVIEW WITH MOM (150 points possible)—Due,

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 24th.

Typed double-spaced 4-5 pages in length

You should interview an older woman in your family, i.e., mom or grandmother.
The idea is to gain an understanding of her life experiences decision, option, and
constraints and to put them into a social context. Draw some sociological
conclusions using theory.

Sample Questions

1. Where were you born? What do you remember most clearly about your
childhood?

2. For those who immigrated to the U.S.: Why did you leave? Who came
with you? Why the U.S.? Who did you know here? What is your most
vivid memory of contact with American society?

3. Who lived in your household as you were growing up? What was your
neighborhood like? How did the household support itself?

4. What about dating? Boyfriends? Girlfriends? Curfew?

5. Tell me about leaving home or becoming independent?

6. Re: marriage and children. Who made the decisions?

7. Ask about friends at different points in life. Did you rely on particular
friends of family members to help you in hard times? Who do you help?

8. What were your goals and aspirations as a young woman? What did you
want? Want to be? Were there things that you wanted to do, to be, but
couldn’t because you didn’t have the resources? Freedom? Support?

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Grading Policy
(including percentages for assignments, grade scale, etc.)
Grades will be determined on the basis of the following point scale::

Two Exams Each worth 150 points 300 points

Third Exam worth 200 points 200 points
Two Quizzes Each worth 50 points 100 points
Participation 100 points
Two Short Papers Each 150 points
300 points
TOTAL POSSIBLE 1000 points

EXAMS
There will be three examinations for the class, the first, the week of September
20th, the second, the week of November 1st and the third, the week of December
6th. Exams one and two will count 15% while exam three will count 20% toward
the final grade. The two quizzes will count 5% each.

Exams will consist of multiple choice, matching, true/false and essays unless
otherwise instructed. They will cover only the material since the last exam (i.e.
non-comprehensive).
Exam material will come from lecture and assigned readings. Any handout
materials supplied by the instructor may also appear on that section’s exam.

The teaching assistant will provide a review session prior to each exam.

Course & Instructor Policies

(make-up exams, extra credit, late work, special assignments, class attendance, classroom citizenship, etc.)
The dates of exams and other assignments are indicated on the class schedule.
Only extreme and unusual physical or emotional circumstances will be
considered as an excuse for not taking an exam or completing assignments by
the due date, or receiving an Incomplete grade in the course. If you fail to take an
exam or turn in a paper or assignment without reasonable excuse, you will
receive a “0” for that item. Late papers will be penalized one letter grade. No
make-up exams will be given except in rare cases, with written documentation
needed. THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UPS FOR QUIZZES. Students requesting
Incomplete grades must do so in writing by the last regularly scheduled meeting
of the class.

SCHOLASTIC DISHONESTY

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Cheating is defined as the willful giving or receiving of information in an
unauthorized manner during an examination, illicitly obtaining examination
questions in advance, using someone else’s work for assignments as if it were
your own, or any other dishonest means of attempting to fulfill the requirements
of the course.
Plagiarism is defined as the use of an author’s work or ideas as if they were
one’s own without giving credit to the source, including but not limited to failure to
properly acknowledge a direct quote or paraphrase. Punishment for cheating
and/or plagiarism is outlined in the Scholastic Dishonesty section of the current
Undergraduate catalogue. Students are expected to read and understand their
rights and responsibilities under the Code.
Any student in this class accused of cheating or plagiarism will be given an
automatic grade of “0” (zero) on the test or assignment and will be turned over to
the appropriate college authorities for possible further disciplinary action (which
could include suspension or expulsion from the college). Cheating and plagiarism
are very serious offenses and will not be tolerated.

The format will be lecture/discussion with the addition of a number of films and
in-class projects. The instructor of this course makes several assumptions about
the students enrolled in this course. As a student in this course, you will be
expected to:

1. Attend class on a regular basis.

2. Be prepared for class (i.e., have a writing instrument and paper or a

computer in your possession; have read the assigned materials prior to class).

3. Participate in class. Students are expected to actively participate and will

be assigned a grade for participation. If something is covered in lecture or in the
text which you do not understand, ASK A QUESTION (chances are at least one
or more of your colleagues will have the same or similar question). You will be
held responsible for the assigned materials on the examinations, so it is in your
best interest to ask questions.

4. Be present and prepared for all examinations. The term “prepared” in this
context means not only having studied the materials you are to be tested on and
showing up at the appropriate time, but also having a SCANTRON and a pencil
in your possession on the day of exam.

WRITING ASSIGNMENTS

Each student is required to complete two writing assignment. Students will have
the choice between a number of assignments involving sociological concepts

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and/or fieldwork. More detailed information will be forthcoming in a separate
handout.

Field Trip Policies

Off-campus Instruction and Course Activities

Off-campus, out-of-state, and foreign instruction and activities are subject to state law and
University policies and procedures regarding travel and risk-related activities. Information
regarding these rules and regulations may be found at the website address
http://www.utdallas.edu/BusinessAffairs/Travel_Risk_Activities.htm. Additional information is
available from the office of the school dean. Below is a description of any travel and/or risk-
related activity associated with this course.

Student Conduct & Discipline

The University of Texas System and The University of Texas at Dallas have rules and regulations
for the orderly and efficient conduct of their business. It is the responsibility of each student and
each student organization to be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations which govern
student conduct and activities. General information on student conduct and discipline is contained
in the UTD publication, A to Z Guide, which is provided to all registered students each academic
year.

The University of Texas at Dallas administers student discipline within the procedures of
recognized and established due process. Procedures are defined and described in the Rules and
Regulations, Board of Regents, The University of Texas System, Part 1, Chapter VI, Section 3, and
in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities of the university’s Handbook of Operating
Procedures. Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the
Dean of Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations (SU 1.602, 972/883-6391).

A student at the university neither loses the rights nor escapes the responsibilities of citizenship.
He or she is expected to obey federal, state, and local laws as well as the Regents’ Rules,
university regulations, and administrative rules. Students are subject to discipline for violating the
standards of conduct whether such conduct takes place on or off campus, or whether civil or
criminal penalties are also imposed for such conduct.

Academic Integrity

The faculty expects from its students a high level of responsibility and academic honesty. Because
the value of an academic degree depends upon the absolute integrity of the work done by the
student for that degree, it is imperative that a student demonstrate a high standard of individual
honor in his or her scholastic work.

Scholastic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, statements, acts or omissions related to
applications for enrollment or the award of a degree, and/or the submission as one’s own work or
material that is not one’s own. As a general rule, scholastic dishonesty involves one of the

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 following acts: cheating, plagiarism, collusion and/or falsifying academic records. Students
suspected of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary proceedings.

Plagiarism, especially from the web, from portions of papers for other classes, and from any other
source is unacceptable and will be dealt with under the university’s policy on plagiarism (see
general catalog for details). This course will use the resources of turnitin.com, which searches the
web for possible plagiarism and is over 90% effective.

Email Use

The University of Texas at Dallas recognizes the value and efficiency of communication between
faculty/staff and students through electronic mail. At the same time, email raises some issues
concerning security and the identity of each individual in an email exchange. The university
encourages all official student email correspondence be sent only to a student’s U.T. Dallas email
address and that faculty and staff consider email from students official only if it originates from a
UTD student account. This allows the university to maintain a high degree of confidence in the
identity of all individual corresponding and the security of the transmitted information. UTD
furnishes each student with a free email account that is to be used in all communication with
university personnel. The Department of Information Resources at U.T. Dallas provides a method
for students to have their U.T. Dallas mail forwarded to other accounts.

Withdrawal from Class

The administration of this institution has set deadlines for withdrawal of any college-level courses.
These dates and times are published in that semester's course catalog. Administration procedures
must be followed. It is the student's responsibility to handle withdrawal requirements from any
class. In other words, I cannot drop or withdraw any student. You must do the proper paperwork
to ensure that you will not receive a final grade of "F" in a course if you choose not to attend the
class once you are enrolled.

Student Grievance Procedures

Procedures for student grievances are found in Title V, Rules on Student Services and Activities,
of the university’s Handbook of Operating Procedures.

In attempting to resolve any student grievance regarding grades, evaluations, or other fulfillments
of academic responsibility, it is the obligation of the student first to make a serious effort to
resolve the matter with the instructor, supervisor, administrator, or committee with whom the
grievance originates (hereafter called “the respondent”). Individual faculty members retain
primary responsibility for assigning grades and evaluations. If the matter cannot be resolved at
that level, the grievance must be submitted in writing to the respondent with a copy of the
respondent’s School Dean. If the matter is not resolved by the written response provided by the
respondent, the student may submit a written appeal to the School Dean. If the grievance is not
resolved by the School Dean’s decision, the student may make a written appeal to the Dean of
Graduate or Undergraduate Education, and the deal will appoint and convene an Academic
Appeals Panel. The decision of the Academic Appeals Panel is final. The results of the academic
appeals process will be distributed to all involved parties.

Copies of these rules and regulations are available to students in the Office of the Dean of
Students, where staff members are available to assist students in interpreting the rules and
regulations.

Incomplete Grade Policy

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 As per university policy, incomplete grades will be granted only for work unavoidably missed at
the semester’s end and only if 70% of the course work has been completed. An incomplete grade
must be resolved within eight (8) weeks from the first day of the subsequent long semester. If the
required work to complete the course and to remove the incomplete grade is not submitted by the
specified deadline, the incomplete grade is changed automatically to a grade of F.

Disability Services

The goal of Disability Services is to provide students with disabilities educational opportunities
equal to those of their non-disabled peers. Disability Services is located in room 1.610 in the
Student Union. Office hours are Monday and Thursday, 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.; Tuesday and
Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.; and Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The contact information for the Office of Disability Services is:

The University of Texas at Dallas, SU 22
PO Box 830688
Richardson, Texas 75083-0688
(972) 883-2098 (voice or TTY)

Essentially, the law requires that colleges and universities make those reasonable adjustments
necessary to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability. For example, it may be necessary
to remove classroom prohibitions against tape recorders or animals (in the case of dog guides) for
students who are blind. Occasionally an assignment requirement may be substituted (for example,
a research paper versus an oral presentation for a student who is hearing impaired). Classes
enrolled students with mobility impairments may have to be rescheduled in accessible facilities.
The college or university may need to provide special services such as registration, note-taking, or
mobility assistance.

It is the student’s responsibility to notify his or her professors of the need for such an
accommodation. Disability Services provides students with letters to present to faculty members
to verify that the student has a disability and needs accommodations. Individuals requiring special
accommodation should contact the professor after class or during office hours.

Religious Holy Days

The University of Texas at Dallas will excuse a student from class or other required activities for
the travel to and observance of a religious holy day for a religion whose places of worship are
exempt from property tax under Section 11.20, Tax Code, Texas Code Annotated.

The student is encouraged to notify the instructor or activity sponsor as soon as possible regarding
the absence, preferably in advance of the assignment. The student, so excused, will be allowed to
take the exam or complete the assignment within a reasonable time after the absence: a period
equal to the length of the absence, up to a maximum of one week. A student who notifies the
instructor and completes any missed exam or assignment may not be penalized for the absence. A
student who fails to complete the exam or assignment within the prescribed period may receive a
failing grade for that exam or assignment.

If a student or an instructor disagrees about the nature of the absence [i.e., for the purpose of
observing a religious holy day] or if there is similar disagreement about whether the student has
been given a reasonable time to complete any missed assignments or examinations, either the
student or the instructor may request a ruling from the chief executive officer of the institution, or
his or her designee. The chief executive officer or designee must take into account the legislative
intent of TEC 51.911(b), and the student and instructor will abide by the decision of the chief
executive officer or designee.

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 These descriptions and timelines are subject to change at the discretion of the Professor.

Course Syllabus Page 13